


The Knight and The Dragon

by nekomisu



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Self-Harm, beginning chapters less heavy than the ending ones but wanted to put those warning tags in now, nothing in here is graphic but, went for the storybook vibe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nekomisu/pseuds/nekomisu
Summary: They were childhood friends against all odd, and now Suzaku is ordered to kill the dragon he once spent his childhood days with. He will not lift his sword against the dragon, but the dragon has a plan to make the knight seem like he has.
Relationships: Kururugi Suzaku/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia
Comments: 18
Kudos: 25





	1. Fate

A boy wandered into the forest one day, and stumbled across a hatchling dragon. It growled at him, puffing up its wings.

"Who are you, human?" It spat. The iridescent scales shimmered in the sunlight, its royal eyes were narrowed in fear. They were about the same height,

The boy was not afraid. It was a beautiful thing, that dragon. "My name is Suzaku. What's yours?"

The dragon growled, but folded its wings. "Why are you not scared of me, Human?" It was a curious thing, the human. Short fluffy brown hair and bright green eyes full of wonder. A pretty sight for sore eyes. Much gentler than the humans their father spoke about.

The boy laughed. "You're a hatchling! You are pretty! Why should I be scared?"

The dragon huffed. "My teeth are still sharp. You should be more careful."

The boy heard his parents call for him. He turned around. "Goodbye, dragon! I hope to see you again!" He said, before running off. The dragon watched curiously as the boy’s form retreated. A silly human, weak and defenseless. It would perish if the dragon did not protect it.

They met again in the forest, but this time the dragon had been tracking the boy. With a pounce, it pushed the boy onto the ground and growled. The boy only looked slightly concerned at this, and pushed the dragon off with more force than a human child should be able to muster.

The dragon fell backwards, and the boy got up. “Dragon! You shouldn’t jump on people like that! It’s rude!”

The dragon growled. “Had I not just pinned you, you would be dead. Consider it a warning, Human. Other creatures will not be as kind as me.”

The boy laughed. “But you are not other creatures! I do not have to worry about you, right?”

The dragon huffed as it got back up. “Perhaps.”

And so they kept meeting like this, the dragon trying to warn the small human of the dangers of the forest. The boy simply laughed them off, saying that he knew the dragon wouldn’t hurt him, that’s why he did not react. The Dragon did not believe him.

There were wolves one day, tracking down an injured deer. Their course changed path when they smelled the boy. The dragon was not quick enough.

The boy earned the dragon’s respect that day. The pack was circling, but Suzaku held his ground. A knife too big for a boy was firmly clenched in his hands. Two wolves lied at his feet.

The dragon flew down and growled, and the wolves scattered. One did not mess with a hatchling without serious repercussions. He looked at the boy, who was shaking. He licked the blood on the boy.

“I was mistaken about you, Suzaku. You are strong enough to hold your ground. Other creatures should heed you.” The dragon spoke in between licks. The boy dropped his weapon.

“Perhaps.”


	2. Heart

They met more times in the forest, playing games and arguing. It became something the two of them looked forward to greatly. There was still a question that lingered in the air- but Suzaku finally asked again. "What is your name, dragon?"

The dragon smiled. "My name is Lelouch. A dragon is not supposed to give out it's name, but you are not like other humans."

Suzaku gave a big grin. "Lelouch is a pretty name! I like it! You're my friend, Lelouch!"

Lelouch looked away shyly. "You're my friend too, Suzaku."

The creatures of the forest did not bother them anymore. The forest around them was quiet. It did not matter, the two of them did not notice. They were focused on each other.

Sadness gripped Lelouch’s chest whenever Suzaku was called back home. He did not want to leave his friend. So, one night, he didn’t.

Suzaku left the clearing, and instead of parting, Lelouch hopped into a tree, following the boy from above. It was getting to dusk, but Lelouch couldn’t enter the settlement until night fell. He growled softly, it was irritating seeing Suzaku and his father walk somewhere he could not follow. His tail lashed, and he retreated farther into the forest until the moon was high in the sky.

The night hid Lelouch from sight, the black iridescent scales making him invisible in the shadows. The small settlement was lit poorly in the evening, the only light coming from the dim lanterns in front of a couple buildings. The streets were empty. Lelouch slunk along, his ears perked as he slowly crept to the building that was holding Suzaku.

Lelouch circled the building, trying to find a way in. A window was slightly ajar on the second floor. With a single beat of his wings, Lelouch lifted himself up enough to grapple onto the wall. He used his snout to open the window more, and silently entered the house.

His purple eyes shone slightly in the darkness as he tried to get his bearings in this new surroundings. He had never entered a human’s home before, so everything was new. He tried to not get distracted by the things that hung on the walls and cluttered the floor- he could find those later. He lifted his snout and took a good whiff of the air.

Lelouch followed Suzaku’s scent, the only thing betraying the dragon’s presence was the soft creak of the wooden floor beneath him. Lelouch crept to the other side of the upper floor, where Suzaku’s scent was strongest. He pushed the door in slowly with his snout, and his gaze fell upon a sleeping Suzaku. He entered the room, slowly closing the door with his tail.

Suzaku had a room all to himself, which was lucky. Lelouch softly prodded the sleeping boy with his claw until the boy’s sleepy green eyes blinked open. 

“L-Lelouch?” Suzaku murmured sleepily, bringing a hand up to rub his eyes. “You’re not supposed to be here…”

Lelouch snorted softly, as to not make noise. “I wanted to see you.”

Suzaku leaned up a little, bringing a hand up to Lelouch’s face. “You’ll see me tomorrow…. If my parent’s discover you here, they’ll hurt you.” 

Lelouch nuzzled the hand that was outstretched towards him. “I will go before they wake.” He took a step up on the platform Suzaku was sleeping on him, curling around the boy. “Go back to sleep.”

Suzaku pulled back his hand, rolling over to face the dragon again. Those draconic violet eyes looked more gentle now. Suzaku didn’t have the strength to argue. With a yawn, the boy closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him. Lelouch closed his own eyes, and they both rested beside each other.

When Suzaku awoke, the only remnant of Lelouch’s presence was the soft indent on the bedding where he had laid.


	3. Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years! Had this half-written for a couple weeks, but finally got around to finishing it!

The pair grew up together, best of friends. The dragon made a habit of sneaking into the boy’s house, and Suzaku learned to keep the window slightly ajar in his room for the dragon to make his late night visits.

Those visits only stopped when Lelouch grew too large to fit through the window. The dragon had left claw marks in the wood where had struggled to fit. Suzaku’s parents had boarded the window up, in fear that the creature that had attempted to get in would do so once again.

As Suzaku grew, he was unable to visit the forest as much as he had once did. He had grown up to be a strong young man, capable of feats unlike any other. He had played with a dragon in his youth, so he was stronger, faster, more in tune with the magic of the wilds. 

Lelouch had grown rapidly from the hatchling he once was. Suzaku only stood up to his chest, those iridescent scales picking up a royal hue. His wings turned that same hue of his eyes. He still waited for Suzaku to visit, but his growing size had also drawn him from the forest he called home. A dragon was a nuisance, a creature that preyed on the cattle and food stores of nearby villages. He left Suzaku’s town alone, but that only meant he had to travel farther for food.

Yet, the childhood innocence was not easily broken. They both wished for more time to spend together, that their responsibilities would fade away. To be able to spend the time together they once had.

It was a summer day, the clearing they laid in together, quiet. Finally, Suzaku broke the silence. "Father recommended that I become a knight. They accepted me when I applied. I don't want to leave you, though."

Lelouch blinked. Suzaku was leaving? But, he would gain much status as a knight. Lelouch knew his strength was unmatched. He could show the kingdom that he was deserving of power, fame, and be rewarded handsomely. "You should go. I will always be here, to return to."

Suzaku looked over. "Are you sure?" He was not able to see the tears in Lelouch's eyes, the dragon turning it’s head away, pretending to try and get more sun..

"I am." replied the dragon.

They spend a few more hours together, trying to soak in what might have been their last meeting. The boy- no, man- left the dragon, saddened that their friendship was at an end. They could not say what they should of, they could not say what they wanted to.

The dragon watched as the man left the town he called home, towards the capital. He watched until his form became too small to see, the man fading into the distance.

“Goodbye, Suzaku.”


	4. Scale

Three years later, the knight returned. "I have been ordered to defeat you." It’s voice was firm, commanding. 

The dragon flared out its wings. "You have come to kill me, then." It was not a surprise- a dragon as large as he would take a lot of food, and Lelouch had not tried to hide his presence. 

The knight took off its helm. The dragon’s wings drooped, surprise taking over his features. The man he had thought he would never see again was standing there, sword drawn, pointing at him. 

"Suzaku. You have come to kill me." The dragon growled. How ironic- his childhood friend sent to drive him away from the forest that they used to play in.

The knight sheathed his sword, but still kept his hand on the pommel. It had been three years since he saw his friend, and the reports from the surrounding towns had painted the dragon as a demon. "I have not, Lelouch." He used his friend’s name as 

The dragon scoffed, but still looked wary. "Then why have you come?" He eyed the hand still on the sword.

The knight took a step forward, hand dropping from the pommel. "I ask for a scale. To show to the king I have defeated you." 

The dragon laughed, shaking his head. Suzaku had not changed that much since he had left- the knight had always preferred to find a way out of fighting, even if he was extremely proficient at it. "You are soft. Very well. I will give you a scale, knight." The dragon reached its claws out to pull a scale from its body. "You are still my friend, a scale is a simple request."

The knight bowed, thanking his friend. Lelouch simply puffed some hot air into Suzaku’s face, pressing the tip of his muzzle into his friend’s forehead. “Go, and show the king proof of my ‘defeat’. It was nice to see you again, my knight.”

Suzaku smiled, happy that Lelouch had not forgotten the days they had spent together. “And it was nice to see you again, my dragon.”

The knight left and took the scale back to the King. The King laughed in joy. "The dragon has been defeated? It will not terrorize these lands again, with a knight as brave as you."

Suzaku bowed. "I am honored to serve you, my lord."


	5. Horn

A month later, and the king summoned the knight. He seemed displeased. "The dragon has been spotted again. You must defeat it- bring me a spoil, to ensure you have  _ fought _ . A dragon in my kingdom is bad news."

The knight bowed, his stomach dropping. Another scale would not cut it as a spoil this time. He did not want to lie to the king, to use the dragon's 'defeat' as a way to work his way up the ranks, but there was no better option available. "As you wish, my lord." 

The knight's way was to bring the King what he wanted, or die trying. Suzaku wanted to be a knight, not for glory but to help the people that couldn't help themselves. Why couldn't the king be happy with that?

The king simply waved his hand. “Bring me something that you can’t just find on the ground. I was a fool to trust you the first time.”

The knight left the hall without another word, being ushered out by the guards. 

The knight returned to the dragon, who was sleeping. It growled as the knight entered the cave. "You have returned?" It’s purple eyes scanned his friend, noticing the lack of sword. Foolish human. He was still a dragon.

"The king has asked me to defeat you. To bring him a spoil, to show that I have bested you once again. Something that proves we fought." Suzaku looked nervous, that he was asking for too much. A scale was one thing, but anything else would hurt. He wished the King would send other knights- he knew the dragon’s latent strength, he knew the dragon would have no issues dealing with them.

He was a new knight, sending him straight into the dragon’s maw was a death sentence.

Suzaku was stuck between a rock and a hard place- he could either lie and ask Lelouch to give him spoils, which was something Suzaku found detestable; or be shamed, jailed, and potentially killed for ‘disobeying’ the Crown.

The dragon laughed, trying to ease the worry from Suzaku. He sat up. "I will give you my horn, to show your strength in battle. When they see me next, they will know you had defeated me, as you said." A scale was easy to fake, a horn wasn't.

The knight looked taken aback for a moment, before collecting himself. “Are you sure? A horn... won’t it hurt?” Lelouch was right, but he felt… uneasy with giving the King a part of Lelouch that wouldn’t grow back.

The dragon looked at Suzaku, his eyes soft. “A small amount of pain is worth your safety. Won’t you stay longer? I have missed you.” He didn’t want Suzaku to worry.

Worry was something Suzaku could not easily stop doing. He looked back at his horse that currently held his travelling supplies. It was tied up outside the cave’s entrance, the steed not seeming to care that a few meters away laid a dragon who would happily eat it. “I cannot stay long, the King will expect me back in a fortnight. The capital is far away from here.”

“But how long can you stay?” Lelouch pressed, his purple eyes glimmering in anticipation.

Suzaku looked away, calculating in his head. “I’ll have to leave by tomorrow morn in order to make it back in time.”

Lelouch smiled at the news, his very sharp teeth showing. Suzaku was not scared of the dragon, he never was. The dragon had always given him a sense of comfort. Lelouch got up all the way, padding up to his friend, his claws clicking on the stone floor. “It’s been three years since we could really talk. Won’t you entertain me with tales of your accomplishments?”

Suzaku laughed. Lelouch had not changed that much, he was always interested in the ways of the human world. “I have not accomplished that much. I will indulge you, for tonight.” The dragon had told him that he was destined for greatness- something Suzaku always denied. But Lelouch never stopped believing in him, it seemed.

They spent the night talking, the dragon hanging onto Suzaku’s every word. When it was finally time to sleep, they curled up like they slept when they were children. Lelouch draped his wing over Suzaku to keep him warm.

The morning light filtered into the cave, rousing the sleeping pair. Lelouch pulled his wing back, looking irritated that their time together was at an end.

Suzaku yawned and stretched, before rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He hadn’t slept this well in years. He took a peek at the sun which had risen over the horizon, his face showing the same displeasure as Lelouch’s.

“I’ll have to go soon…” Suzaku said quietly, trying not to think about it. This night they had spent together had brought back all the memories and emotions he had tried not to think about. He had missed his dragon desperately.

Lelouch looked just as sad. But he couldn’t keep Suzaku here. Doing so would only bring more knights, ones that would actually fight him. If one escaped and told the news to the KIng, Suzaku’s reputation would be ruined. Taking a deep breath, he reached his clawed hand up to one the long horns adorning his face, and with a large crack, broke it off. He could not hide the hiss of pain, nor the blood that spilled from the open wound.

Suzaku looked worried, but Lelouch just thrust the horn into his hands. “Go. Your king is waiting.”

The knight took the horn. "Thank you, Lelouch." He wanted to stay, but he couldn’t. He only hoped Lelouch would be okay.

The dragon pushed the knight towards the entrance of his cave. “Go. The sun is rising, you must get back in time.” The pain was nothing compared to the worry of his knight. He wanted to make sure he was not late.

The knight got up, and with one final sad look at his dragon, left the cave, taking his horse and riding back to the capital.

The knight took the horn back to the King. His voice was still. The horn was still splashed with the dragon’s blood. "I have defeated the dragon, and brought a spoil, as you requested."

The king laughed. "You have done it, truly! I will take this horn, and fashion it into a tool for you. Everyone will know of your prowess just upon looking at the foul beast, if it takes to these lands again"

The knight bowed, his voice barely masking his disgust at the concept. "I am honored to serve you, my lord."


	6. Claw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been divided into three parts at this very moment. I might consolidate it into two parts. AS I'm fleshing out the initial concept I had, I'm getting more and more invested and writing more. Sorry for any whiplash between chapter lengths!

Three months passed, and the dragon was spotted again. The king was angry- twice the knight had been sent out to defeat the dragon, and yet it was still alive and terrorizing the kingdom. Both of them knew it was hard to kill a dragon, it was easier to drive one out, but the dragon hadn’t seemed to be impacted much by the knight’s actions. "The dragon was spotted again. I want it gone. Go out and defeat it again, my knight."

The knight bowed. "Your wish is my command." His voice was forced. “I will take longer to return. I wish to drive it further from these lands.”

The king smiled, his grin almost bloodthirsty. “An extra week should be plenty of time. Return to me by the end of five weeks with your prize.”

It made the knight’s heart sink. He would have a week to convince his friend to leave the kingdom, or risk other knights to do the task Suzaku could not. Three separate times the knight had been sent out, and the dragon still haunted the southern lands of the kingdom. The king was impressed by his work thus far, but who knows how long it would last.

Suzaku set out, bringing extra rations to spend the week with Lelouch. If he could stay that long.

The knight returned to the dragon, who was eating. Its teeth were stained with blood. It lifted it’s head, confused. "Suzaku, you have returned?" He seemed slightly surprised that Suzaku had come back this quickly.

The knight shifted slightly. "The king has asked me to defeat you." 

The dragon snarled. "Again? The king sends you to drive me away?" Both of them knew the risks associated with Lelouch still residing within this forest.

The knight pleaded. "You should leave, it is unsafe! I do not wish to take any more from you!"

The dragon gave a soft smile. Suzaku was worried about him. How their positions had changed over the years. "You are not taking anything from me that I do not freely give. Take my claw, so that the king knows I am weakened."

Suzaku looked at the dragon’s claws, ones that were stained with the blood of his prey. “The king wants you gone, not weakened.”

Lelouch looked at his own claws. Bloodstained. With the blood of the cow he had taken from a nearby village. A weakened dragon was still a hungry one. But he would not leave Suzaku, not when he was so close.

Lelouch touched his snout to Suzaku's forehead. "I promised I would stay here, and stay here I shall.”

“You know that if you keep hunting in this area, you’ll be the one hunted. I may be the knight sent out now, but if you continue to stay here, I won’t be the only one.” Suzaku tried to reason, but Lelouch just scoffed.

“You think I could be defeated by a mere knight?” Lelouch growled, standing up to his full height, his wings flaring out. “You are not the first knight to visit me. There were others before you, and foolish warriors in between you.” 

Suzaku took a step back, The dragon was intimidating like this, blood dripping out of it’s maw, the entrails of the cow still tucked between it’s crimson splattered claws. He knew he had nothing to fear from Lelouch, if the dragon had wanted to kill him, he would have done so long ago. It did not stop the primal fear in his heart.

Lelouch seemed satisfied with this display of power, and settled back down to finish eating. “You are the only knight I will allow to defeat me. Please understand that. Humans are no match for me.”

Suzaku sighed. “You’re too confident of that.” But there was no convincing the annoying heap of black scales. He couldn’t as a child, and he couldn’t now. “I bargained for an extra week from the king. To drive you farther away. If you don’t go, then I doubt I’ll be able to get this time again.” Suzaku murmured. 

Lelouch’s ears flicked with interest at that. “Do you mean you intend to stay for longer?”

Suzaku snorted. “That’s what you took out of it? You really are stubborn.” Lelouch licked his lips clean of the blood, trying to look somewhat more presentable. He didn’t mind the blood for a scary effect, but that wasn’t needed. Not with Suzaku.

“Well?” The dragon pushed, craning his neck so that his face was close to Suzaku’s own. 

Suzaku coughed from the warm hair blown into his face. “Yes, yes. I have five days to spend.”

Lelouch grinned. “Then what are you waiting for? The forest has changed since we last explored- there is much to show you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been debating writing two alternate endings- one 'good' and one 'bad'. The 'bad' ending was the one I originally came up with. If you have any input, I would love to hear it!


End file.
